Metrosideros umbellata

Southern Rata

This medium-sized evergreen tree is native to most of New Zealand and also found south to the subantarctic Auckland Islands. It has leathery leaves and profuse, stunning, brilliant red flowers. In cultivation it is best suited to cool, temperate climates in USDA Zones 9 and 10 and is hardier to cold than the more well known M. excelsa.

If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture
by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.

Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most
appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation
success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the
best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.

We recommend:

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palmsby Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft, Scott Zona 2nd edition
Completely revised and updated Hardcover - 528 pages
11 x 8.5 inches Our rating:Suitable for: all The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is the definitive account of all palms that can be grown for ornamental and economic use. Palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity—even to tropical gardeners. To help introduce these valuable plants to a new audience, the authors have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family.
825 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and any special requirements. Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, including photos of several palm species that have never before appeared in a general encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is as valuable as an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany, and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants.